Vehicle-hub.



No. 638,387. Patented Dec. 5, "I899.

W. D. GEMMILL.

VEHICLE HUB.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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WVORTHY DIGEMMILL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHl8LE-HUB.

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,387, dated December 5, 1899";

Application filed September 27, 1899. Serial No. 731,823. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WORTHY D. GEMMILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Hubs, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same. v

My present invention relates to the construction of vehicle-hubs with peripheral flanges composed of sheet metal and built up in the peculiar manner hereinafter explained, the object being to provide a light, strong, and inexpensive hub, practical for manufacture, and more especially designed for use in wheels of automobile carriages orsimilar wheels having tension-wire spokes; and my invention consists in a hub havingits parts formed, arranged, and united as specifically described, and illustrated in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of myimproved hub. Fig. 2 is a transverse section at line X X. Fig. 3 is a face view, and Fig. 4 a side view, showing the details of one of the flange-plates before assembling; and Fig. 5 shows the detail of a finish-cylinder for the central part of the hub.

Referring to the component parts, as shown in the drawings, A denotes the cylindrical barrel portion of the hub, and B B denote the peripheral outstanding flanges for the attachment of the wire spokes which connect the hub with the rim of the wheel in well-known manner. These spokes are not shown,as they form no part of the invention.

As heretofore made flanged hubs for the purpose named have been lathe-turned from a solid block of metal stock sufficient in its original size to include the entire hub and its flanges, thereby engendering an outlay of much time, labor, and expense in the production of the hubs, as well as a large waste of metal in the chips and trimmings taken off.

In constructing my improved article I provide a hollow tubular core or shaft A of the desired size and thickness and of a length equal to or greater than the hub proper, through the length of which said tubular core extends and serves as the interior frame for the hub. The outstanding flanges l make each composed of two oppositely-bracing an-- metal, preferably steel, that is firstcut as a circular blank and then stamped, pressed, or drawn in proper dies to the shape indicated in Figs. 3 and 4: to produce the inner cylindric rim 3 parallel with the central axis, the outstanding rim 4 perpendicular to the axis, and the uniting shoulder curve or bell shape 5, givinga bracing or dish form to that portion of the plate between its inner and outer rims. The central eye 6 of the plate is formed to correspond with the external diameter of the core A. The two disks or plates 13 and 13*, independently formed, as above, are placed together face to face and temporarilysecured to each other, preferably by rivets 9", (see Fig. 2,) and are perforated (before or after final assembling) with holes h for the spoke-wires. Two pairs of these oppositely-bracing plates are then assembled on the tubular core A,which is passed through their eyes 6. Preferably a cylindric shell or finish section a, of proper length to give the required distance between the flanges, is also arranged on the core.

When the parts are properly adjusted, all of the adjacent surfaces and joints are permanently and rigidly united by brazing the parts together, thus forming a solid integration of the cylinder at and the inner rims 3 of the plates B and B with the core A along the surface line 8 and of the outer rims 4 with each other at 9, making the solid-edged flange B, also closing the end joints at 10 and 12.

When the brazing operation is completed, the outer edges of the flanges are properly rounded off, the holes h drilled out, and the exterior finished as desired.

The cylindrical finish-shell a may be a section of seamless tube or a thin plate rolled into cylindrical form, as shown in Fig. 5, or, if in any instance desired, said shellct might be omitted, the exterior of the core A making the outer surface A of the central part of the hub; but I prefer to use the finish-shel1 a, as shown.

The cone K for the bearing maybe fixed on the projecting part of the core-shaft, or any suitable supporting-bearing may be employed, since the bearing is not an essential of my invention.

The tubular core A is in the present instance shown extending as a shaft through the bearing M, with the hub on its projecting end. In such cases the outer end of the hub is best closed and finished by a rose or rounded end, as at F. This is produced by drawing one of the flange-plates B to the shape desired without cutting out the center portion f of the blank; This center portion can be stamped to any ornamental configuration preferred.

When the hub is designed to run with a bearing central or at each end, then the tubular core A is made as terminating at the lines on and m and the round-finish end F or portion projecting beyond the line on is omitted, or, again, both ends of the hub may be made to receive a cone K. A gear or sprocket can be attached by a brazed-on collar R.

The offsetting curvature at 5 can be varied in degree or form of curvature or given an outward curve, as dotted lines 55, the seating or rim portions 3 and 4: remaining in the same relation as above described.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A vehicle-hub comprising a tubular core or shaft, a pair of outstanding flanges arranged thereon, said flanges each composed of two oppositely-bracing sheet-metal plates respectively formed with an inner cylindric rim fitting said core, an outer flat rim, and

an intervening curve or bracingoffset uniting said rims, said plates inversely arranged with their outer rims permanently secured together, and provided with a series of holes for the reception of wire spokes, substantially 40 as set forth. 2. A vehicle-hub constructed as described,

comprising the tubular core or shaft, spokeattaching flanges mounted thereon, each composed of two oppositely-bracing sheet-metal die-drawn plates adjacently matching together at their outer rims, and permanently united with the core and each other by brazing on the adjacent surfaces; one of said flange-plates having an intact center portion F forming a closure or finish-boss across the end of said tubular core, substantially as set forth.

3. A vehicle-hub of the character specified,

comprising in combination, the core or shaft A, two flanges built up thereon of stamped sheet-metal flange-plates B, B respectively formed with inner support-rim 3, brace shoulder bend 5, and perforated outer abutting rim 4, and arranged oppositely disposed in pairs,

and the in terspace cylinder finish-shell a, said parts assembled, as shown, and their adjacent surfaces and joints permanently and solidly united by brazing.

Witness my hand this 23d day of Septem- 

